But the primary demands of the student climate strikers go beyond stopping Adani. They also include a target of 100 per cent renewables by 2030, and no new coal and gas projects.

The IPCC 1.5C report published last October made it clear we need to rapidly phaseout coal, and make rapid major transformations across all sectors of the economy such as agriculture, transport and stationary energy to meet the 1.5C Paris climate target.

Electricity decarbonisation is much easier to achieve and a partial enabler of other sectorial decarbonisation (such as transport electrification and Electric Vehicles), so we need to do this much more rapidly.

The Federal Labor Party has set a 50 percent Renewables target by 2030 and an economy wide emissions reduction target of 45 percent by 2030. These are no longer ambitious targets given the climate crisis and need for climate emergency action which the students are demanding. Labor’s Economy wide target is the bare minimum for Australia’s fair share of a deep decarbonisation pathway.

Climate Strike students visit Peter Khalil MP in Coburg

Talking with Labor MP for Wills Peter Khalil

Climate Strike students visit Peter Khalil MP in Coburg

The students are organising as part of a global day of student strike action on March 15, and welcome parents and other adults to join them in solidarity on the day.

[…] renewable energy fund, during a meeting on Friday Peter Khalil attempted to stymie the passion of young leaders from school strike 4 climate with Labor’s own renewable energy fund promises. Neither, however, seeks to address the issue […]

[…] Students from Castlemaine, who initiated the November 30 student strike for climate, have been using Fridays to highlight the importance of action by visiting various politicians in Melbourne including Liberal Government Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, Labor Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, and our own Federal MP for Wills Peter Khalil. […]